William John Limmer Sheppard

Sheppard, William John Limmer, M.A., son of William Benjamin Sheppard, was born at High worth, July 21, 1861, and educated at Queen's College, Oxford; B.A. in honours 1888, M.A. 1892. Ordained in 1888, he was Curate of Christ Church, Timperley, 1888-90, Missioner of the Church Missionary Society 1895-6, Centenary Sec. C.M.S. 1896-1900, and since 1900 Vicar of St. Peter's, Ipswich. The following hymns by Mr. Sheppard are in common use:—
1. Father, we are gathered here. [Farewell to Missionaries.] Written in 1897, for the C. M. S. Valedictory Meetings, and included in the Church Missionary Hymn Book, 1899.
2. Father, Who didst give Thy Son. [Litany on behalf of Foreign Missions.] Written in 1898, and given in the C. M. Hymn Book, 1899, No. 65.
3. From Christ to learn, for Christ to teach. [Foreign Missions.] Suggested by Abp. Plunket's "For Christ to learn, for Christ to teach, O Lord," &c, in the Irish Church Hymnal. It was written in 1898 for the C. M. S. Centenary, and included in C. M. Hymn Book, 1899, No. 238.
4. In the cleansed temple, On the festal day. [Consecration of Self to Christ.] Written in 1896 on the C.M.S. Gleaner's motto for 1897, and printed in the Gleaner, Jan. 1897, p. 3. In 1899 it was included in the C. M. Hymn Book, and in 1902 in Hymns of Consecration and Faith.
5. 0 Lord of lords, and King of kings. [Praise for Success of Foreign Missions.] Written in 1899 for the Centenary of the C.M.S., and given in the C. M. Hymn Book, 1899, No. 241. Also in Hys. Of Consecration and Faith, 1902.
6. We scan the years swept from us. [Success of Foreign Missions.] Written for the Centenary of the C.M.S., 1899, and published in the C. M. Hymn Book, the same year.
7. Where hast thou gleaned to-day. [For Gleaners' Union Meetings.] Written for the C.M.S. Gleaners' Union Anniversary, 1897, and printed in the Gleaner, Jan. 1898, p. 15, with music by C. H. Forrest. It was repeated in the C. M. Hymn Book, 1899; and with the music, in Hys. of Consecration and Faith, 1902.
It must also he noted that No. 224 in the C. M. Hymn Book, is composed of st. i. from Canon Twells's "At even, ere the sun was set" (st. i.), and the rest of the hymn by Mr. Sheppard, to whom permission was given by Canon Twells for the use of his stanza.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)